Memoirs of Drako: As Translated by Tatsu Ryu
by Drakoleses
Summary: tale of a dragon tamer who almost became the Pokemon Leaugue Champion. set before RBY. an unlikely trainer is stranded in Kanto and decides to take the newly issued Pokemon Leauge Challenge.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. Warning! Eventual shipping between OC and Erika in later chapters.**_

_**Prologue**_

Tatsu Ryu looked into the fire of his study pondering his latest discovery. He wasn't really sure what to make of it really. An archaic text discovered in the ruins of Old Celadon. The text itself was in terrible need of restoration. To think that it was made of actual wood pulp paper, written in actual ink was almost hysterical.

As an archeologist, Tatsu had never found anything of real interest before now. In an ancient, rusty rectangular container was found a leather-bound text along with seven small, brightly colored orbs.

It was Tatsu's team who had stumbled upon the ancient peculiarities, so it fell to him to make what he could of it. Historic artifacts were not as appealing to Tatsu as to other eager archeologists. Mister Ryu, he dug and searched for ancient artifacts of immense wealth and prestige. Artifacts that would insure his name to be remembered forever as the one who found them. It was treasures that Tatsu sought, nothing more, nothing less.

Mister Tatsu Ryu found the artifacts before him unsettling. They were mysterious, that was for certain. There was something about the orbs, something so immensely disturbing that Tatsu could not bear to look at them. There was something IN those orbs, a kind of presence, he knew it!

And it was for that reason that Tatsu focused his attention to the ancient text. As to how old the text really was, he could not tell offhand. However, its pages were strangely preserved, the text legible. At least he thought. He would need to find out the language in which this document was written and then have it translated. The alien symbols were eerie, so eerie just looking at them sent shivers down Tatsu's spine!

As he studied the text closer he was startled to find that he was somehow able to understand what it said! If he looked directly at each individual symbol, it appeared just that, a symbol. But as his eyes swept over the strange writing his mind grabbed hold of ideas, phrases, memories…

His subconscious took in these things, stumbling over them for a little while. Then everything seemed so clear, as if he was actually reading, actually remembering…

* * *

**_Excerpt from a Memoir_**

"Drako? Drako?" a voice stirs me from my sleep. Funny, I don't remember dozing off. Where am I? I look around. Huey is here with me. But where is here? Oh, here is a pokemon center. We are back in Vermillion City.

"Drako, do you feel alright?" the sailor asks. "You took a pretty nasty cut to your face. I hope it's not infected."

I wince in pain as I touch my face. It DOES hurt. "Why are we in the pokemon center?" I ask Huey.

"The hospital is filled up with the other passengers who were on board. We were lucky enough just to stay here. Nurse Joy is busy tending to all of the injured pokemon right now but it shouldn't be too long and she'll be able to sort your face out well enough." he explains. "That Garydos got me arm as well. But don't worry it's only a scratch. And I got that damn dragon back in its pokeball not too long after you lost consciousness." and with that Huey shows me his right arm, and I see a long deep gash running down it. It looks pretty bad. In his hand is a small pokeball. He holds it out to me in triumph.

I just grin and look at the pokeball with uncertainty. "What's up, Drako?" asks Huey. "I figured what with me capturing this thing that you would at least take it back. Take it off me hands! The only pokemon I need is me polywhirl, you know that. Go on! Take it!"

I take the pokeball from his hand and look to my belt loops. Where are the other pokeballs?! I look around in alarm. Huey notices this and grins as he throws my rucksack at me. "Figured you'd be looking for that. I tossed your pokeballs in there with the rest of that rot. Your pokemon ought to be okay; pokeballs these days are water proof. But I don't know about the rest of your stuff. It's more than likely ruined."

But I don't care about any of that. All that matters is the safety of my pokemon. It is too dangerous to let them out now. I will just wait until Nurse Joy has free time to check up on them.

"Hey Drako, you know that the S.S. Alexei was the last ship headed to Hoenn for a while, right? Well, lucky for us a ship destined for Johto should be arriving here in Vermillion in about a week. How fortunate, huh? We just have to sit tight here for a little while longer and then it's back home to Olivine for me! Did I ever tell you about the lighthouse in Olivine? It's amazing..."

I smile, happy for Huey but I'm not really paying attention to his ramblings on the amazing Olivine City lighthouse. My mind drifts to other matters. Like returning back to Johto. Back to my overbearing mum. I love my mum but she can be so... Well, motherly! It's annoying, really. The way she always fusses about me. When she hears about the ship sinking she'll never let me go near the water ever again. She'll never allow me out of Blackthorne ever again. I might as well kiss my dreams of pokemon adventures goodbye. No adventures, no battles, no pokemon league...

And back to studying, studying, and more studying. I don't really want to be a docter. I want to have fun! I don't really want to go back to Johto just yet. And I don't have to. As far as mum is concerned, I am in Hoenn spending my vacation with my uncle. She won't start looking for me for a while. I'm in Kanto; she's in Johto. I guess she might think I'm dead, though. She'll find out about the accident and start worrying. After she doesn't hear from me she'll think I died.

But that's just perfect. You see, here in Kanto I'm free. I'm free to do whatever I like. I just had a near death experience! No way mum will be able to handle that! In fact, I should write about it! Right now.


	2. Memoirs of Drako

_**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. This is just in first person POV. Warning! Starts off boring but that is typical of how journeys begin. Eventual shipping between OC and Erika in later chapters.**_

_**Memoirs of Drako**_

_I feel like the luckiest person in the world. This is because I have found someone who loves me for me and not for some false illusion of me. My pokemon journey began by sheer accident, I suppose. If I hadn't walked aboard that ship I would have never ended up stranded in Kanto, thus, I would have never met the person who loves me for me. I am called Drako._

_Does that name ring any bells? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But just my name doesn't really tell you much about me, does it? What if I told you that my specialty is dragon-type pokemon? Now do you recognize my name? No? Well, let me proceed to tell you that I am related to individuals named Lance, Clair, and Drake who all also use dragon-types. You recognize THEM don't you!? Yes, you most likely know that Lance is a former Pokemon League Champion, that Clair is a gym leader in the Johto region, and that Drake is a member of Hoenn's Elite Four._

_I'm not going to tell you how we are related because that information in itself doesn't tell you about who _I_ am. People reading this might guess that I had a lot to live up to when I was younger but I didn't really know how skilled of dragon users they were until I started out on my journey._

_Unlike many of my fellow trainers, I received my first pokemon when I was at the not so young age of fifteen. He was a bagon and I nicknamed him Tobias. My uncle gave him to me and he was our little secret for a while._

_You see, although I come from a long line of dragon users, my mother never encouraged this on me. She wanted me to become a doctor someday... She was very upset when my older brother left home to start his pokemon adventure but he was the perfect child who could do no wrong so she accepted it. She was always afraid that if I had a pokemon I would go get into trouble and end up in a gutter somewhere._

_I never understood this, as I was never a bad child, just not a perfect one. I made good grades in school and respected my elders. I didn't do drugs; I didn't steal or vandalize public property. I didn't go out partying and get bloody drunk. I was actually pretty boring for the most part. That is, until I started training._

_I trained my bagon in secret for a long time. I couldn't challenge anyone to a battle for fear that someone would rat me out to my mother. Instead, I battled the wild pokemon in Icy Path and Tobias gradually became stronger and stronger. I was careful to hide his pokeball in my jacket pocket at all times. Then one summer's day, I was a bit careless…_

I am staring into the mirror on the wall of my room. I focus my attention on my face. My face isn't exactly one that you can forget. It is not the most magnificent face in the world but it is not entirely repulsive. No, at first glance I am not much to look at. But study my face closer and you will find a kind of quiet nobility in my features. This is coming from the person who loves me for me. At the current moment, I am only concerned about a sudden breakout of acne…

"Drako! Drako, come down here!" I wince as I hear my name being shouted. Out of reflex I reach for my jacket pocket and freeze. I feel around my shirt with my fingers hunting the jacket pocket that is not there. I panic as my eyes wildly scan my room for my missing jacket, for my missing pokemon. I don't see it anywhere!!

"Drakoleses! Get your arse down here!"

"_Oh, great. Now I've done it!" _I think as I slowly edge over to the door of my room. I now know without a doubt that she's found it. And that I am in serious trouble.

"DRAKO!!!"

I wince again as I open the door and run down the hall. I peer down from the landing, afraid of what I might find. What I see is simply my mother, face as red as her hair, her eyes glaring up at me. This is not a good sight.

"The next time you hear me calling your name you get your arse down here EMEDIATELY!!! Is that understood?"

I mumble a quick "yes, ma'am." And now she's showing me a letter from my uncle in Hoenn. He is wondering if I would like to go to Hoenn for what's left of my summer vacation. My mother is leaving the decision up to me. I want to reply with a "YES" on the spot.

"_Anything's better than staying here all summer long." _I think to myself. _"Maybe my uncle will be able to teach me more about my pokemon. I hope so! Tobias isn't really obeying me like he used to…"_

What I actually say is, "Yeah, that would be great." And I leave it at that, relieved that my mother hasn't found my pokemon. Then I wonder, _"Where is my jacket, anyway?"_

Then my stomach convulses in horror and my brain freezes up as I hear my mother say, "Oh, bye the way, Drako, I took the liberty of starting on some of your laundry today. I would appreciate it if you sorted the rest of it."

My mind takes a few seconds to fully assimilate what has been said to me before I race to the utility room where we keep the washer and dryer. By that time, my mother is already there, throwing clothing items from a large laundry basket into the wash!!

I look around frantically for my jacket as she continues to throw in more clothing. Ah Hah! I see it! It is on the top of the pile of laundry! I reach for it—

--Too late! My mother has already picked it up!! Now what happens next appears in slow motion before my eyes.

I watch my mother toss the jacket into the air and I can see a pokeball fall out of one of the pockets…

I can feel my internal organs somersault as I watch the pokeball land in the washtub…

There is a blinding flash of light—my mother screams...

The next thing I know, I'm peering down into the washtub to see a highly confused bagon sitting there on top of my clothes, getting soaked from the running water...

Now my bagon, Tobias, is screaming his head off; my mother is hollering for me to explain what the hell is going on; and I am standing here, laughing my arse off because…Well, it is too funny, okay?

_I might as well laugh about it now…_

_Well, okay, I shouldn't have laughed. As odd as it may be, my mother wasn't really angry at me, only bewildered and confused at the situation. However, I do think that she was a little hurt that I kept my bagon a secret from her. No, afterwards she seemed to think that going away to Hoenn for the summer was in my best interests. She said that I would learn a great deal out of the experience. She was right about that. I did learn quite a bit and I did gain a great deal of experience after I left Johto. It wasn't what she had in mind though. I'm sure she hadn't planned on my extended stay…_

I am once again looking into my own reflection. Looking at my tragically horrendous yet beautiful face…I am glad that my acne has cleared up…

"Drako? Drako? Where are you, Drako?"

My mom enters my room and says, "Drako! Come on, your cousin is waiting! Now when you reach New Bark Town—

"I know, I know!!" I interrupt. "After we reach New Bark Town we Surf on until we reach Kanjo Falls. Then we fly to the Indigo Plateau Headquarters where I will get dropped off. After that, I continue east until I reach Viridian City and then start south until I am in Pallet Town."

"Very nice recitation." My mother remarks dryly. "And after you reach Pallet Town—

"—I then go by ferry south to Cinnabar Island where I board the S.S. Alexei." I finish, smirking at my mother. _"We've been over this a hundred times already!"_

"None of that!" she reproaches. "Now do you want to keep your ride waiting?! Where is your luggage?!"

I point to my duffel bag crammed with all kinds of junk and to my rucksack filled with more junk. My mother looks at the stuffed duffel bag with doubt. "You do have all of your clothes that you are going to need in there, don't you?"

I just shrug. This is not a satisfactory answer to her. Now she is naming off all of the things that I should have packed from my clothing items to my toothpaste. She keeps going on and on… _"I should have left already…" _Luckily my cousin walks in, rescuing me from my mother's endless droning about toothpaste and other items that are unnecessary for me to mention.

Finally, after a quite a bit of fussing on my mother's part, and a lot of impatience on my cousin's, my mother is pulling me into a hug and I grudgingly let her half-suffocate me until it becomes too much and I pull away. Now my cousin and I are heading south to New Bark Town, my mother is waving farewell behind us, the call of adventure is waiving its welcome.

* * *


	3. The Man in the White Jacket

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

**_The Man in the White Jacket_**

_I am glad that my first sight of Kanto was a-dragon-back. I can only describe the view of Indigo Plateau as incredible! As I sat a-dragon-back the wind was whipping in my hair, the sun was shining on the ground below and I could see the town of Viridian in the distance. A-dragon-back I vowed that I would come back here, that I would one day walk through the Headquarter gates and come out of there a Champion! I was burning, burning, on fire! I would come here again someday…One day I would come back and raise my head high, restore the honor of my name, of my father's name…These were some of the thoughts that whirled 'round my head a-dragon-back._

I am still euphoric after my ride. I want to say hello to my father. _"I think he is in Viridian...I don't remember...I haven't seen him in years...I guess I'll try the gym..."_

"_Oh, NO!!! The gym is locked..." _Now I will just have to try and track him down.

A grumpy old man is yelling at me to get off of his property and won't allow me to go through. I ask him if he has seen my father. He only gives me a funny stare and tells me to get out of here…_ "I guess he hasn't had his coffee yet…"_

Now an old man in a white jacket is pulling me by the ear, telling me that I need to get out of the tall grass…

I try to explain about my bagon, Tobias, but the man in the white jacket doesn't seem to be listening. We are now in a small laboratory looking place and the man in the white jacket is introducing himself as Professor Oak. I tell him my name. He raises his eyebrows in inquiry at my surname but says nothing…

He shows me three pokeballs sitting on a lab table and tells me to choose one. I try to explain about Tobias again. Now the professor seems to be paying attention…

"Come on out, Tobias!" I call out my pokemon so that the professor can see the little dragon for himself. Tobias just stares at me blankly.

"Hey buddy, say hello to the professor" I tell my pokemon. Tobias turns around and stares at Professor Oak and then to my great mortification, lies down in the middle of the floor and starts sleeping!

"Drako, your bagon was given to you, is that correct?" the professor asks me. I nod my head in agreement. "Yeah, by my uncle".

"And your uncle is an experienced trainer, I take it?"

"Yes, very."

"And you don't have any gym badges?" I shake my head. "No, not yet."

The professor just grins. "Then that explains why your bagon doesn't obey you, because you are not his original trainer and you have no experience handling and battling other pokemon."

I avert my gaze to the floor and look intently at Tobias. A sleeping dragon never looked so peaceful.

"You need your own pokemon for your protection. Before you leave for Johto or Hoenn or wherever you happen to be going, why not choose one of these three pokemon to take with you? That way, the two of you can start off together." The professor suggests.

I look up. "Really!? That would be great, professor. But what can I do for you in return?"

The professor looks thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Let me keep your bagon here for observation for a little while. I have never seen a pokemon like it before and I would like to get the chance to study it. You can come back by here when you think you've had enough experience to handle him on your own. By that time, I'm sure that I will have finished my observations."

I hesitate. _"I don't know if my uncle will appreciate it if I arrive in Hoenn without my bagon. He might get offended. He WILL get offended. Am I even going to return to Kanto?" _These thoughts are whirling 'round my head.

The professor seems to be reading my mind for he says, "I have an acquaintance in Johto, Professor Elm is his name. He lives in New Bark Town. Do you know where that is?"

I nod my head. The professor continues. "Well, whenever you return to Johto you can email me and I will send your bagon back to you through him. Does that sound reasonable?"

I slowly nod my head but wait! "_What about my uncle? What will HE think?"_

"Wait a minute!" the professor cries. "Is your uncle (whispers my uncle's name into my ear)?"

"Yes, that's him. Have you met him before, sir?" I ask curiously.

"No, but I have heard of him." He admits. "I have connections in Hoenn, I am fairly sure that I could use my influence to make him agree to lend me his old pokemon for a little while. He sounds like an agreeable person anyways."

Now that all of this is taken care of, I still need to choose my pokemon. It takes me a while to decide…I finally pick up the pokeball with the charmander inside. I think I see the professor smile a little, as if he is remembering something special…

I let my new charmander out of its pokeball. She seems curious about me, yes my charmander is female. I nickname her Saxon. I look on with interest as Saxon approaches Tobias and Scratches him! Tobias is now awake and alert.

I return both of them to their pokeballs and hand Tobias's to the man in the white jacket, the one who calls himself Professor Oak. I thank the professor for everything and head out to the small ferry that is about to shove off for Cinnabar Island.

When on the island, I let out Saxon and tell her to have a good long look at this place; I would like to return here someday… We board the S.S. Alexei.


	4. Shame

_**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**_

_**Shame**_

_I spent a few weeks on board the S.S. Alexei before she pulled into Vermillion. As I look back, I realize that those short-lived weeks meant a lot to me; I was in a sense free and for the most part I enjoyed myself immensely. Most of the other passengers on board stuck to their cabins; they were mostly Gentlefolk who were on vacation. I acquainted myself with some of them as well as with the Youngsters that traveled with them. I also met many of the seasoned travelers out to see the world, and even to my distinct pleasure, a few stowaways. Meeting all of those fascinating people from 'round the world was incredible and I indulged in many-a-battle with them. However, all of these people did not capture my attention as did the sailors on board._

_There was something about sailors that I immediately liked. Was it the coarse, cursing language in which they spoke, was it the way in which they performed challenging labors with a kind of extraneous effort? Maybe. But being a person unused to confined spaces, I tried out my sea legs as soon as I could and got in the way of many sailors all trying to carry out their duties. I was cursed at and so I cursed right back. I was then challenged to pokemon battles that I couldn't win, and my pokemon and I got our arses beat several times but after a few rounds of hell, one particular sailor told the rest to fuck off and leave me the hell alone, that they had better things to do than stand around and battle young landlubbers who couldn't walk worth a shit. This sailor was called Huey and we became friends._

_Huey was from Olivine City in Johto and talked constantly of the lighthouse that was there. He couldn't wait to return to this lighthouse once the S.S. Alexei had finished her tour 'round the world. Huey's sole pokemon, a polywhirl, was the only thing he really cared for besides that damn lighthouse. He trained his polywhirl all of the time._

"Come on, Drako! You can do better than that!" calls Huey after his polywhirl has finished its assault on my charmander, leaving her out cold on the deck. "_I should have told her to dodge that last punch" _I think to myself

"You can do better than that!" He repeats to me as he hands me a Revive. "Just because your charmander has a type disadvantage doesn't mean that you should give up. All my polywhirl did was punch at her. You need to learn to give better directions in battle. That's your job as a trainer. To train. To coach. Your charmander is pretty agile for just starting out. Take advantage of it! Now revive her and let's have another go around."

I shake my head in frustration. _"I don't want her to fight anymore. She can't take this kind of punishment."_

I can feel Huey staring at me for a few moments before he sighs and says, "Fine, suit yourself. Just remember, I'll be below deck if you want a rematch." And with that said he walks out of my line of sight. I revive Saxon and wearily return her to her pokeball. I just stare at it thinking. "I_ know he expects more out of us, but what else can we do, Saxon? We can't win; we give it our all and still come up short. How can he possibly expect us to beat him and that polywhirl of his?"_

In a sudden burst of light the little charmander is out on the deck and giving me a pep talk.

"Char Char Charmander Char Char Mander Mander Char…"

But all I hear is gibberish, not words. But that doesn't really matter. In a way I can understand her well enough. What this speech is telling me is basically not to give up, to challenge Huey to a rematch, to stop acting like a damn wimp; can't I see that my pokemon is alright? My Saxon is chewing me out and I have never before in my life felt so much shame…

"_My pokemon is ashamed of me, Huey is ashamed of me, and I'm ashamed of me…" _I think in my head. _"All Huey wanted was for me to try, not to win, but to try. And I didn't…"_

My thoughts are interrupted; I smell smoke. I feel heat. "OH, SHIT!!! I'M ON FIRE!!!" I stop. I drop. I roll. And roll. And roll. And I can hear Saxon laughing the whole time (or at least I can hear what passes for a charmander's laugh). I get up, fling off my shirt and start stomping on it… I stomp until I'm sure that there are no more flames on me or my clothing.

I turn towards Saxon in anger. But after seeing my charmander's grin my anger subsides immediately. _"Well, at least now I know that your Ember is strong, Saxon." _How can I stay mad at my charmander? I just grin back at her and go below deck in search of Huey, with Saxon at my heels.

We find Huey in the galley stuffing his face. I walk up to him and slam my fist down on the table he's sitting at. "Hey, I want a rematch" I tell him coldly. This shameful feeling is irritating.

He looks up at me and grins. "Bring it on, landlubber. BRING IT ON!!!" I can't help but grin back.

_**Author's Note: Yeah, short and pointless, like the rest of this fic. I know. But I don't think I could have fit the necessary information in the next chapter so this short, pointless memoir gets a chapter of its own.**_


	5. In Vermillion City

_**In Vermilion City**_

I hear the musicians playing. This is a cruise ship but it is the only one headed for Hoenn for a while. If I'm going to be stuck at sea for a few weeks, I might as well enjoy myself. I'm here and can listen to the musicians if I want to.

They are awesome. Huey joins me after a while. "I don't see why you like listening to that noise" he tells me. "I just visited the captain. He's in real bad shape. Y'know, I think he's seasick. Shame that, he's a genuine Cut Master; I think you'd get a lot outa meeting 'im."

"Oh, we're about to dock in Vermilion City. Hey, are you ready for that party? Polywhirl and I can't wait to battle all of those snobs. It'll be awhile though so you might wanta check out Vermilion while y'can. Hey, why don't you challenge the gym? Your charmander's gotten pretty tough. And if you lose, at least you'll know what to expect when you go back to Johto. Oh, Shit! Gotta go! See ya at the party, Drako." And with that Huey hurries off, leaving me with a decision to make.

So now we're in Vermilion and I'm bored. Huey and the other sailors have work to do. I think I'll go into the city, see the sights, and challenge the gym. Saxon is ready for just about anything that the leader could do. The party won't start until later and everyone is itching for the guests to arrive so that we can have proper battles. We've all battled each other countless times now. After awhile you lose your money, win it back and the pokemon get weary of battling one another. It'll be nice to battle someone new. So before the party begins, I'm going into town.

I set foot on Kanto soil once again. I go to the Pokemon Center so that Saxon can be properly looked at by a physician. I walk into the center to see a member of the Joy clan smiling at me. I smile back at the Joy, wondering if I have met her before. I can tell most of the Johto Joys apart but I still look at this member of the Kanto Joys with no recognition. I walk up to her and take out Saxon's pokeball.

She remembers me. I guess with a face like mine no one can forget me too easily. She doesn't hold my bad memory against me; she just smiles, looks Saxon over, pronounces her fit to battle, and tells me to say hi to my mum when I get back to Johto.

As I go to leave the center, a traveling salesman stops me at the door. He says that he can give me a sweet deal on a Magikarp for only $500. I ask him what a Magikarp is. His face is beaming and he shows me a picture of a water-type dragon pokemon, blue and majestic and fierce looking. He again tells me that this is a really good deal and that I should take it while I have the chance. I look at the beautiful dragon with longing… I hand over my money. The salesman tells me that he doesn't do refunds and that he hopes that I am happy with my new Magikarp. He hands me a pokeball and hurries out the door.

I call out my new pokemon so that I can give it a proper nickname. I confidently call out the mighty dragon and am confused to see a small flailing fish creature instead. I suddenly remember what a Magikarp is. I groan, realizing that I just got cheated. I call back the "mighty dragon" and nickname him Ythgim. Then I silently curse the traveling salesman under my breath.

I head for the gym still fuming over the waste of my money. I jump over the shrub blocking the entrance and cross the threshold to find a large room filled with trash bins. I see a few rockers and an elderly gentleman sitting lazily around the trash bins.

"Which one of you is the leader?" I call out. One of the rockers points to the back of the gym where I see two electric doors barring the way to the leader. "You got to hunt for the switches that open the doors" he calls back to me. "And you got to go through us."

"Fine by me!" I reply. I march over to him so that we can battle face to face.

The rocker grins and sends out his first pokemon. It looks like a giant pokeball with eyes. Electricity sparks 'round it. I take a deep breath and call out Saxon.

The rocker makes his first move with, "Voltorb, use Sonicboom!"

"Dodge it, Saxon!" I holler. Saxon is quick enough to dodge the blast but the sound rings out painfully in our ears.

While Saxon and I are recovering from the loss of hearing, the rocker takes the opportunity to relay his next command to his pokemon. "Thundershock it now!"

Saxon is so out of it that as I tell her to dodge the attack she can't hear and the shock hits her head on. As I watch the electricity run through her body I notice that the flame on her tail is starting to blaze brighter.

"Don't give up, Saxon! You can beat this thing!" I call out to my injured pokemon. "Now scratch it!" Saxon responds by running at the foe, claws outstretched. Her claws rake the surface of the voltorb, and a piercing grating noise comes to my ears. "Keep scratching!" I shout. Saxon continues to scratch. And scratch. And scratch.

"Sonicboom!" orders the rocker. I suddenly have an idea…

"Saxon, cover your ears!" I bellow at my charmander who is still scratching the voltorb. She looks somewhat confused but complies by placing her claws on either side of her head and running a few paces around the trash bin nearest her.

"_It's the sound that hurts, not the blast. All the blast does is create the illusion of an attack. It doesn't DO anything."_

I am proved incorrect as the blast sweeps toward Saxon and knocks her off her feet. But she gets up almost immediately and I can see her tail flame blaze even brighter. And brighter. And brighter. The sound hits us but it isn't as bad as the first time. This time, we have our ears covered.

Saxon emits a low but audible growl at the voltorb. I look around at the trash bins around us. _"The switches must be inside trash bins._" I think to myself. _"There's nothing else in here. But which ones? I'll have to search them all." _I have another idea…

"Saxon, pick up the voltorb and throw it in a trash bin!" I order.

"Voltorb, thundershock the charmander!" calls out the rocker.

I watch in horror as Saxon takes the hit. Miraculously, she gets back up, shaking but up nonetheless. I marvel as she runs straight at the voltorb and kicks it up into the air with her clawed feet. She then jumps into the air and kicks the voltorb down into a nearby trash bin.

The force of the kick pushes Saxon back and she flips upside down and lands on her stomach with an ungraceful thud. She just lies there too tired to get back up…

The rocker starts toward the trash bin his voltorb is in. I can see sparks fly from out of the bin and I hear a high pitched wail emanating from it. "Calm down, Voltorb!" orders the rocker. But the voltorb doesn't seem to be listening. It powers up a lot of energy…

A blinding flash of light temporarily relieves me of my sight and I suddenly hear an earsplitting BANG! When my senses come to I can see the rocker returning his voltorb to its pokeball. "Stupid Self-Destruct…" he mutters. Still muttering he hands me a wad of money which I eagerly accept. The rocker retreats to the far side of the gym, sits down on the floor, and leans up against the wall, all the while still muttering.

I glance back down at Saxon. She isn't in very good shape. I kneel down beside her and give her a Coke. She drinks it and becomes hyper on a sudden sugar rush. She is ready for the next challenge.

"Okay Saxon, let's start searching trash bins for the switches" I tell her. "I don't want to use up all of the Soda just yet. Besides, we need to get going to that party."

Saxon nods in understanding and dives into a trash bin. But the bin is deeper than she is tall and she gets stuck. I help her out and set her on my shoulders. "Hey Saxon, while you're up there look down into the trash bins and give a shout if you see any with switches inside of them" I tell my charmander.

We walk down the rows of trash bins for a while before Saxon gives a shout out. I look up at her and she points down to the trash bin in front of us. I peer down inside and sure enough, I spot a switch inside. Saxon jumps off of my shoulders and into the bin. She presses the switch.

I think I hear a soft click. I help my charmander out of the trash bin and start looking down into the bins nearest us for the next switch. I see it in the bin directly behind us. I reach down into the bin and press the switch myself. This time I hear the sound of doors sliding open. I look to the back of the gym. The electric doors are open and I can see the leader looking straight at me.

The gym trainers are all at the far wall talking with one another. I don't think they even notice that the doors are unlocked. They aren't paying any attention to me… I walk through the open electric doors and stop in front of the leader, Saxon right behind me.

He is tall, muscular. Has short blonde hair. Looks like a real tough guy. "Hey baby. I am Lt. Surge. Yeah, I was in the war. You want to challenge me? Ha! My pokemon will shock yours until you beg for mercy!" And with that the gym leader sends out a raichu into battle.

"_Baby? Who the hell is he calling a baby? We'll show him!" _I fume. "Go Saxon!" My charmander steps out from behind me to battle. I see Lt. Surge grin.

"A charmander?" he sneers. "An unevolved pokemon is weak!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I roar. "Saxon, use ember!" My charmander complies and embers shoot out of her mouth at the raichu, setting it on fire.

"Raichu, use thundershock!" yells the arrogant prick.

Electricity sparks 'round the raichu for an instant before it is aimed at my charmander. Saxon is hit, but she doesn't seem bothered too much. Her tail flame blazes on, much brighter than I have ever seen it. "Saxon, use ember again!" I tell her. And in an almost Rage she lets out a spew of fire from her mouth at the raichu. The raichu looks badly burned after Saxon is through.

Lt. Surge gives his next command with, "Raichu, use Mega Kick!" The kick knocks the wind out of Saxon but she is still standing.

There is a flash of bright light and where my charmander once stood is a creature transforming, not quite charmander and not yet something else. I look at this transformation in wonder. I watch as Saxon becomes taller, larger. The flame on her tail is blazing a bluish-white. And now the brilliant light is gone and a magnificent charmeleon is standing before me.

I look at my Saxon thinking, _"Wow Saxon! You did it! Ten minutes ago, you were riding on my shoulders. Now I could probably ride on yours." _This seems likely as my pokemon and I are now roughly the same height. I give my charmeleon a Coke and her energy is restored for now.

I look at Lt. Surge. He is no longer grinning like an idiot. He looks almost pale. But this doesn't stop him from issuing a command to his burned Raichu. "Use thundershock" I hear him hiss.

But raichu is badly hurt by its burns. It starts up a feeble attempt at a thundershock and releases it. Saxon dodges the shock with ease. "Saxon, use ember again!" I order. I watch as Saxon inhales and spews hot embers from her mouth at the raichu. These embers reach their target and the scent of singed flesh comes to my nostrils. A mighty wail reaches my ears and I can hear the Lt. cursing.

"_One more hit out to do it." _I reason. "Saxon, use ember one more time!" And my charmeleon obeys by spewing more embers from her mouth and shooting them out at the foe raichu one last time. One last time and the raichu collapses on the floor, writhing in agony before the gym leader recalls it to its pokeball.

"_WHO'S THE BABY NOW?!!!" _I want to jeer at the defeated gym leader. But I don't. I just stand there as he gives me a wad of money and the Thunderbadge. To my surprise he also gives me TM25, a technical machine that teaches a pokemon Thunderbolt. I accept it gratefully. I look into Lt. Surge's eyes and I think I see respect in them. This is good enough for me.

"C'mon Saxon, we have to go to that party", and with that my charmeleon and I walk out of the gym side by side and head for the S.S. Alexei.

_**Author's Note: Yes, I know there are inconsistencies in this chapter. Like the evolution in the middle of a battle. But I doubt that I could've actually won that battle if it didn't happen. Not every trainer is blessed with a super-strong charmander. It would have been more realistic for me to lose that battle but events in future chapters requires that my pokemon obey me for now. So go ahead, call me a Marty-Stu. At this point I can take it. **_

_**PS: Oh, if anyone's reading this, I would appreciate it if you could help me out here. I'm not getting very many reviews so if you think I should just delete all of this, please let me know. Advice and criticism is always appreciated! **_


	6. The Sabotage of the SS Alexei

_Okay, first I just want to thank my reviewers Dagon22 and Lolita of the Damned. Y'all are awesome. It's been taking me awhile to research sinking ships so in the end I decided to just make it simple and crash the blasted ship into some rocks! Sorry it took me forever to get this out. Let me know what you think, okay?_

_**The Sabotage of the S.S. Alexei**_

_Water…Too much water…_

Saxon and I are back aboard the S.S. Alexei. The party has long since begun. There are many of us, trainers and pokémon summoned out onto the upper deck; the sun is beginning to set. I look on with pride as my charmeleon, Saxon, spews embers upon a youngster's mankey, knocking it out. The crowd goes wild!

We have our own small crowd going. A sort of makeshift tournament was devised out of boredom earlier on and Saxon and I are winning so far. The only conditions of the tournament are that no items such as potions or even soda pops can be used by pokémon or trainers and once a pokémon is fainted it can not be revived. Once a trainer is out of usable pokémon, he or she is out of the game.

I look to a tray of refreshments with longing. _"I'm so thirsty…" _This rule about no food or drink is ridiculous. I haven't had anything to drink in hours…

The youngster pouts as he returns his mankey to its pokéball and transfers some coins from his hand to mine. I shove them in a pants pocket and scan the ring around me for my next opponent. She steps out into the makeshift arena where Saxon awaits the summoning of her next foe.

My opponent is a Lass, a teenager really, roughly around my age. Decked out in a simple white blouse and long black skirt, she is rather tall and has wavy brunette hair that falls to her waist. Her eyes are a bright, startling green. On her face is a smile so arrogant, I want to wipe it right off and quickly.

The lass calls out to me, "Do you have any _other_ pokémon to battle with, or are you going to keep using your charmeleon? Sorry, but Ember is getting old to watch over and over again." A roar of laughter emits from the crowd around us. I grip Saxon's pokéball in anger.

"_How dare she make a fool out of me!? Who does she think she is?" _I think to myself. _"I can use Ythgim for now, see how he does." _

"You can return for now, Saxon", I tell my charmeleon as I summon her into the pokéball. I call out Ythgim, the "mighty" magikarp. I see the lass's smirk as her eyes sweep over Ythgim in a glance and as she sends out a rattata into battle.

My face grows hot and I wish that I was anywhere but here, watching this haughty girl embarrass me.

"C'mon Ythgim, show this rat what you're made of!" I encourage the magikarp. But the flailing fish just splashes around the deck. The creature looks as if he can barely breathe, let alone fight.

"Rattata, use tackle", orders the lass, her voice faint with laughter. The rattata starts at a run before knocking the wind out of my magikarp. Ythgim cries out in pain and the crowd is cheering. The crowd that had been cheering for me just moments ago has turned against me. I don't like it at all.

Filled with anger and embarrassment, I hastily return Ythgim to his pokéball and summon Saxon in his place. The crowd jeers as Saxon opens her eyes to her foe.

"_I am so THIRSTY!!!" _I want a drink. I am irritated at this crowd, at my magikarp, at these stupid rules. At the tray of refreshments only a few paces away. At this lass for making me look bad. At her rattata for making my pokémon look weak. And at myself for getting into this mess in the first place. My mouth is dry and I am aggravated.

"Rattata, bite the charmeleon!" the lass orders. The filthy rat races up to Saxon and bites into her arm. "Saxon, use Rage!" I relay_. "If only she could channel all of my anger, my discomfort and make someone suffer! Make that rat suffer!"_

As if Saxon can read my thoughts she complies and goes on an all out Rage of Fury. She goes absolutely mad! Her eyes are bluish-white gems of fire and she radiates an aura of monstrosity. The flame on the tip of her tail blazes a beautiful blue.

Apparently, the lass is unaware of how dangerous a charmeleon's Rage can be. She orders the filthy rattata to bite Saxon again. She is so annoying, with that confident smirk on her face. The rattata is also confident. How ignorant they are. The rattata bites; Saxon doesn't even bother dodging it. She is waiting, expecting. Ready for her Rage to grow stronger.

Saxon is enraged now. She doesn't need any further commands from me. She attacks the rattata at will, knowing that I will not stop her. Once I tell her to use Rage, she knows what to do. Once I relay that command, she will attack until either she or her foe is unable to continue the battle. She does so now.

Saxon attacks. The poor rattata doesn't even know what hit it. It is trying to defend itself by Biting, Growling, using every defense mechanism in the book. The lass is relaying order after order but all attempts at bringing down this enraged charmeleon are futile.

The rat puts up a good fight. But every attack only enrages Saxon further. Only enrages me further. It is a surprisingly long match. In the end, Saxon, claws stained, is victorious; the rattata is lying on the deck, motionless.

The lass's face is streaked with tears as she recalls the rattata into the safety of its pokéball where no more damage can be done to its body. She calls me a score of names that I cannot bear to repeat. Her rage would rival that of the red lizard right now. I take in her words, silently. She throws down some coins at my feet after using a particularly nasty hand gesture in my direction. I see the words her mouth is forming but I hear no sound come out. She can't speak, she is so furious. But I would be too, if someone's charmeleon did to mine what Saxon did to that rattata.

Before this, I didn't know how furious a charmeleon's rage could be. The lass, the rattata, and I, we were all ignorant. I had recalled how Saxon had battled in Vermillion City, when I was irritated at Surge and decided to take advantage of it again. I didn't know that she would channel all of her being into this one, stupid, meaningless battle. I didn't realize that the rattata would put up such resistance, that it would only enrage Saxon further. I didn't know that the rattata would soon be on a journey to the Tower, to Elysium.

The lass forms the curse words with her mouth but no sound comes to my ears. She walks below deck. I cannot pick up the money that she has thrown down. It wouldn't be right. Not after this. My gaze turns to my surroundings on deck. Sailors, gentlefolk, party guests, pokémon, all are stopped in their tracks, their battles with one another are forgotten. They are all staring at me.

I look to my charmeleon and she greets me with, "Char meleon char!" As if to say, "Hey, we won! Aren't you proud of me?" She stares at me with innocent eyes in total bliss of what has just occurred. I can't look back into those eyes. I can't look at anyone. I return the confused charmeleon to her pokéball and start toward the refreshment tray.

The onlookers quickly get out of my path as I make my way to the tray. All is completely silent. My throat hurts so badly, as if I have been yelling myself hoarse all night. Yes, the shining stars clarify that it is night. The battle had lasted for a while.

"_HAD I been yelling? Yes. I had. Did it really last so long? Yes. It did."_

I grab two bottles of Coke and make my way below deck to my cabin. All is silent. All are staring. Sleep eludes me for what seems like an eternity. The thought of those brilliant green eyes haunts me.

"_What was her name? She had a name, why can't I remember it!? They all think I'm a monster. I know they do. And I am. I was angry, embarrassed. But I didn't know that Saxon would interpret those emotions! But it's not her fault, it's mine. She didn't know any better. I should have. Why didn't I tell her to stop? Surely I did! Didn't I? Didn't I?"_

A violent shove stirs me from my sleep. I awake with a start to find myself on the floor of my cabin with a major headache. Everything's wet. The floor is covered with water. Too much water…

I incoherently grab my rucksack from off of the floor, secure my pokéballs to my belt loops, and rush out the door on my unsteady sea legs. The corridor is filled with water…I slosh through it to the upper deck. There is absolute pandemonium.

So many passengers are in a state of frenzy, running every which-a-way. Avian-type pokémon are released from their pokéballs left and right. Their fortunate trainers are leaping off of the ship a-bird-back and flying away. I only hope that they are going to get help.

I spot Huey and reach him in due time; the upper deck is packed with scared, confused passengers and it takes awhile to get anywhere. I have to shout to make myself heard; the din is overwhelming. "What's going on?" I practically scream in his ear.

"The ship's been sabotaged", he replies flatly. "The way the captain tells it, he was in his cabin sick as a dog, throwing up all over the place, when the ship started accelerating. When she came about, and collided right into that pile o' rocks yonder." The sailor jerks his head toward the bow and then starboard side.

I can only stare. The "pile o' rocks" is to me what looks like a small mountain out in the middle of the ocean. And the S.S. Alexei's hull is probably breached in a thousand different places, letting in the water… I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner.

"What makes you say it was sabotage?" I ask him.

He looks almost sick before bitterly replying, "The entire crew was enjoying that party last night. The night-crew thought they would step aside from their posts when a young lass went below and invited them up for a few drinks. They were gone for five minutes. But it was enough. Some of the pokémon were left in the engine room, shoveling coal into the boilers and such, just working, before the crew came back to find them all missing. Gone, disappeared, vanished."

My heart sinks as I recall the lass I battled and the gleam in her eyes as she went down below deck. I know it was her. It had to have been. But why take the crew's pokémon and sabotage the ship? What was she after? It made no sense. But then again, it does. What would I have done if it had been _my _pokémon that had been beaten like that?

The frenzy continues. People are absolute idiots, jumping off of the ship into the freezing water, trying to swim back to the mainland. They are idiots. Once they've jumped, some poor sailor has to go fetch a life preserver and toss it to them. If they can't reach it, another poor guy will feel it is his obligation to jump in after them, which only shows how idiotic _he _is. Well intentioned, but idiotic.

Finally, the captain's grabbed hold of a loudspeaker. He yells at everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic!" _Yeah, we're on a sinking steam ship and you're telling us not to panic._ The din is in a state of uproar. I can't hear anything else that the captain is saying.

I hear something, faint. Is it the loudspeaker again? No, something else. Music? I look to the bow. Musicians have taken out what instruments that haven't been ruined, stood up, and started playing. Their conductor, baton in hand, has a smug expression on his face. So do the musicians. But they play. A Concert F, is it? Wow, Huey, I didn't know you could play the sousaphone. Sheets of music are on stands that have appeared from out of nowhere. They aren't panicking, like the rest of us. They just play that one, singular note, sustain it, and we all marvel as it rings. Everyone is listening. Everyone is calm.

I see her. The saboteur. She is playing the flute. I know it's her; the memory of those brilliant green eyes haunted me all night. Our eyes meet. Hers widen in surprise and she drops her flute onto the deck. She instantly jumps over the side of the railing and turns back to me. She smiles at me before she plunges into the water. As if this is just an act. As if we're old friends playing some stupid game. She jumps, and I feel sick to my stomach.

I don't even wait to hear the splash, not that I would be able to anyways with the musicians playing. I run forward, grab her abandoned flute and stow it in the rucksack still on my back. _"WHY?Why did she go and jump?"_

I look around. Did anyone notice that she had jumped? Did anyone recognize her? Did anyone even know that she existed? Everyone is listening to the captain now. He's back on the loudspeaker. I don't care about what he has to say. My mind is replaying the last few seconds over and over again in my head. I relive her jump moment after moment. I can't take it anymore.

Like the fools before me I don't even bother kicking off my shoes. All on my mind is the thought of the lass-drowning. I break into a run and sail over the railing. Midair I think I hear Huey, "DRAKO, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!!!" Blue, blue, rushing. In a nanosecond I fill my lungs with the biggest breath I have ever inhaled and shut my eyes before impact.

Splash! Cold, freezing cold! Why in the bloody blazes does the ocean have to be so cold?! Need to swim up. I exhale the air in my lungs and buoy to the water's surface. So stupid, idiotic. Why did I go and jump?

I am dog-paddling like hell, trying to stay afloat. I open my eyes. I don't see her! Where is she? I don't recall jumping so far. The S.S. Alexei seems so far away! I couldn't swim back to her even if I tried. It would be useless. I've never been a great swimmer. Holy shit!

I am swept under by the wave. Water is up my nose, in my mouth, going for my lungs. I panic and reach for the pokéballs on my belt loops. Magikarp! Please be a good swimmer…In a second the giant fish is out and I grab for him immediately. He can't swim. He is struggling, trying to break free of my hold, but in my panic I only tighten my grip.

I feel strong arms pulling me up. Up, to the surface. I'm there! I can breathe again. The pain in my ears is unlike any other! My rescuer releases me. I open my eyes to see a pissed-off Huey, wearing a life preserver, and cursing me out. Huey takes off the life preserver and pushes it to me. I put it on, gratefully. I turn around to see my rescuer. Polywhirl. So it was Polywhirl who rescued me. Where is Ythgim, my magikarp?

A bright white light blinds me; I can no longer see anything. Not Huey, not the ship. Just the light. Suddenly, I can see again. An eerie sound rings in my ears. I look to Huey who is as puzzled at hearing it as I am. We listen for the sound. It's getting louder. And louder.

The waves are waving back and forth violently. Submerging from out of the water is what looks like a long blue tail; the sound is ringing unbearably in my ears. No longer eerie and soft but a roaring note of discord. The force of the waves reel me backwards.

The owner of the long blue tail is fully submerged to the water's surface. A mighty sea-serpent/dragon that could pass for the identical twin of the traveling salesman's picture. Ythgim?! He's furious; rushing towards me his note of pain becomes a song of peril. I can only writhe in pain.

"AH!!!" Searing pain! I feel as if I have just been hit by a freight train, stung by a thousand beedrill. Tiny pinpricks of pain are wrought in my face. Blood is running into my eyes.The tail is wrapping around my throat now and lifting me up into the air.

Desperate, I hold out Ythgim's pokéball and try to find my voice to return this mad dragon. Instead of the now familiar beam of light that calls the pokémon back into captivity the serpent is still here, attemping to squeeze the life out of me. Can't breathe. Ythgim's pokéball drops from my hand and splashes into the water below.

I can faintly hear Huey cursing, ordering Polywhirl to attack…

* * *


End file.
